'To do list' for moving to Oz!

Recommended Posts

Guest Cara&Gav

Guest Cara&Gav

My hubby and I sat down and started a crude list of things 'to do' before we move to Oz and a few of you thought it would be a good idea to start a thread so we can all add our lists & give each other advice & ideas on them. Some of it is from Australia and New Zealand Magazine. My idea is to get as much stuff done and out the way as possible as I feel the last few months are going to be quite hectic and emotional.

Here goes...... it is just initial thoughts....

Could be done now :-

Check 2 years on passports

Quotes from shipping companies/storage

Quotes for flights

Work out route (we are thinking of maybe a bit of travelling on the way for a few weeks eg Thailand)

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

My hubby and I sat down and started a crude list of things 'to do' before we move to Oz and a few of you thought it would be a good idea to start a thread so we can all add our lists & give each other advice & ideas on them. Some of it is from Australia and New Zealand Magazine. My idea is to get as much stuff done and out the way as possible as I feel the last few months are going to be quite hectic and emotional.

Here goes...... it is just initial thoughts....

Could be done now :-

Check 2 years on passports

Quotes from shipping companies/storage

Quotes for flights

Work out route (we are thinking of maybe a bit of travelling on the way for a few weeks eg Thailand)

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Guest Cara&Gav

Guest Cara&Gav

Honestly, men really think things 'just happen' i think lol like the fairies just come out in the night haha I've managed to get my Oh to agree to one night a week where we have a talk about Oz and what we have done/need to do/do research etc even if its just over a cuppa. Hopefully we'll stick to it lol

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Guest Cara&Gav

Guest Cara&Gav

Moneycorp offer a no fee for Poms in Oz members as I spoke to one of them in a special chat session that was set up. Thats a very good idea to start finding out about money transfer & whether to transfer it all or leave some in UK bank accounts etc.

Very good idea for stocking up on summer stuff particularly as it wont be so easy to buy that stuff after the summer.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Every time I see a 'good list' I cut and paste it into a Word document and keep

Here's one I really liked - especially helpful about the actual move and best way to pack up.

Its in 2 parts as it is very long!

Timescales

countdown prior to moving to australia

Eight weeks before the move

Decide whether you will use a professional mover or move everything yourself.

Set the date for your move. Consider timing your move to coincide with 'off-peak' moving periods. Generally Mondays, Fridays and first and last days of each month are the busiest times for professional movers and truck rental.

If using a mover, obtain estimates from at least three professional moving companies as well as recommendations from friends before making your selection.

If moving yourself, obtain estimates for the hire of removal trucks, etc. Make a booking to hire your selected vehicle/s for the moving day/s.

Sketch a floor plan of your new home. Photocopy this plan and then draft onto it the layout for your furniture. Will everything fit? Perhaps some furniture may need to be sold or given away.

Start using up food from your freezer to save it spoiling during the move.

Clean out clutter. Perhaps hold a garage sale or donate items to charity.

Start developing a list of all the people who will need to learn of your new address. As mail is received, check that the sender is on your list of people to inform. This will include friends, relatives, banks, any subscriptions or catalogues, etc.

Six weeks before the move

Discuss the moving details with your mover, including all costs and insurance cover. When you are completely satisfied with the details, book the mover for the day of the move. Also collect as many packing boxes as the moving company is willing to provide.

If you are moving yourself, start collecting boxes. You could gather used boxes from supermarkets or friends but make sure these can withstand the rigours of moving. Alternatively buy or hire sturdy moving boxes from professional moving companies.

Develop an inventory of all your possessions. This will come in handy not only for organising your move, but also as a record of your assets for insurance purposes.

Arrange for the transfer of your children’s school records to their new school.

Send out furniture or drapes, etc. to be cleaned.

Start notifying others of your forthcoming change in address. This is especially important for any businesses you may deal with as it can often take time to update your address on their systems. Why not produce a moving notice and photocopy this for distribution?

Fill in a form at the post office to have your mail redirected. You should elect to have your mail forwarded to this new address for at least two months following your move.

Four weeks before the move

If you need to organise storage, do this now.

Using your inventory list, start organising how you will pack your possessions. How many boxes will you need? Which items should be packed last and unpacked first?

If you have pets, consider how these will be moved. Perhaps ask your vet to recommend companies who specialise in the safe transport of pets.

Arrange for final readings of your services, e.g. gas, water and electricity, to be performed just prior to your move. Also organise for these services to be connected in your new home prior to your arrival.

Make sure that your telephone is connected at both your new and old addresses during the move. This will allow for communication between the two places should this be necessary. Alternatively, borrow two mobile phones if you don't have them.

If you are going to need temporary accommodation, make the necessary hotel/motel bookings.

Three weeks before the move

Gather together all the packing materials you will need. This includes:

Packing tape

Bubble wrap

Styrofoam ‘beads’

Old newspapers

Scissors

Utility knife

Packing string

Rope

Labels

Marker pens

Hand truck and/or dolly

Plenty of boxes

Start packing the items that you will not need over the next few weeks, e.g. extra linen or spare crockery.

Handy tip

Be aware that items you pack yourself are unlikely to be insured for breakage. Therefore, it is a good idea to leave the packing of fragile items, such as glass and china, to the professionals.

Two weeks before the move

Transfer all your bank accounts to new branch locations.

Cancel all deliveries, e.g. newspaper, milk.

Check on the arrangements for the new telephone service and other connections.

Consider storing jewellery and valuables, including certain legal documents, at your bank during the move. Alternatively, set these aside to carry with you on the day of the move.

Ensure your possessions will be fully insured during the move. If not, arrange for extra insurance cover.

Contact the council where you are going to reside to find out about garbage pick-up, local regulations and other information.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Return all library books and rented videos. Also don't forget to collect any dry-cleaning, shoes from the repairer or lay-bys.

If necessary, arrange a babysitter for the day of the move.

Tidy up the garden and outside area.

Arrange for new locks to be installed on the house you are moving into.

Defrost your refrigerator and freezer.

Finalise all packing. Number each box and take notes on their contents. Also, keep items from different rooms in separate boxes.

Keep in mind that heavier items deserve smaller boxes.

Mark any items that should be handled with care.

Pack bags of clothing and toiletries to take with you rather than send with the mover.

Have the carpet steam cleaned.

Also put together a box of items which could be useful for the day of the move. This might include such items as scissors, a utility knife, paper plates and towels, toilet paper, drinks, cups, soap, bandaids, headache tablets, tea towels, rubbish bags and small toys for children.

Moving day

Remove all remaining food from your refrigerator and freezer.

Clean out cupboards, sweep the floors and ensure the house is tidy for its next inhabitant.

Leave the old house keys with the real estate agent for collection by the new inhabitant.

Check to see if all the services are on and appliances are working in your new home.

Check off each box as it comes off the truck.

Register for voting in the new electorate.

Visit your new post office to see whether they are holding any mail for you.

checklist prior to moving to australia part two

If you do not have a bank account in Australia, arrange to open one on arrival. Travellers cheques usually clear in your Aus account on presentation (bring your ID / passports with you), personal cheques may take up to 30 days to clear.

Buy travellers cheques and some AUD (cash) for your first few days – around AUD 2000 should be sufficient.

Make sure you have a valid credit card (and make provision to have the card paid in your home country) this makes booking & paying for accommodation, rental cars etc much easier when you first arrive here

Ensure that you have up to date prescriptions (and sufficient supply to last at least your first month in Australia) for any prescription medicines or treatments. Also, get a copy of all of your medical and dental records and bring that with you to Australia.

Make sure you have insurance cover for medical and personal effects that will cover you until you have your Australian insurance in place

Get your lawyer / solicitor to update your will (get a new one done after you arrive and settle in Australia) and also to act for you if there are any outstanding legal matters in your home country (e.g. sale of home etc)

Just an update on the list of ‘to do’s’ In the light of our

Experiences

Arrange the ‘house cooling’ goodbye party

Make your wills (travelling is dangerous)

Arrange an Australian address (friend, relative, thread member)

or get one of these to organise a PO Box in Australia (in their name and empty it for you) They are quite hard to get so think early – go on waiting list.

Update your address book including tele nos and email addresses

Cancel your ISP service IN WRITING (I did it in email and phone and they continued to charge me for another 5 months said I did not cancel.) Also advise C/C payment they should stop the standing order. (belt and braces cover)

Get copies of some utilities to use as evidence of good payment for same in Australia (otherwise you may have to pay a large deposit $100 or so) PS Australian utilities go in ONE persons’ name Mr or Mrs they don’t like Mr/Mrs and therefore the person who organises it gets the bills in their name – so utilities should match.

Arrange a Nationwide Credit Card (or possibly Halifax) No annual charges and they do not charge extra for foreign currency purchases.

Arrange Standing Order to pay credit cards while you are travelling and getting organised. (we still use our uk c/c and get a better rate than the money we took over originally.)

Organise all change of address details with everyone in the uk. (Credit Card Co.’s and other financial institutions sometimes will not accept this change and ask you to verify by phone to a 0845 number. This is difficult once you have left uk. (They write to the Australian address and say they cannot accept your instructions!!!!!) This includes Share Certificate holding companies.

Cancel uk telephone

Make arrangements with Credit Card companies and other financial institutions for on line working (they often need this instruction confirmed by phone)

Have Boot sale

If you are taking a container or part load –

Scrub shoes and disinfect – they get through ok.

Ditto garden tools – if necessary paint handles/blades – no problems

You can ignore pessimistic threads re difficulty taking garden things (except lawn mowers) SO LONG AS YOU CLEAN THEM wipe with Jeyes fluid and mark them that this has been done

Leave couple of pages of labels addressed to a friend/relative in uk for odd bits that get through then and later for the new owner of your house to use. Then they can sort out and pass on if necessary to you.

Get details of your medical records from Doctors (Max charge 50 sterling – but my doctor gave me a copy of the print out he would take on a home visit for free) and this is sufficient for most people.

Get a couple of months supply of medication to cover you while you get sorted with a GP in Australia.

Cancel Car insurance and get letter of confirmation of your NCD to use in Australia.

Cancel house insurances

Cancel TV Licence and ask for refund

Ensure that you ask all refunds to be paid directly into your uk bank account as they send you cheques to Australia and this is not much use. (or make arrangements for a friend/relative to have a paying in bok and get the refunds sent to them)

Organise Travel insurance for the trip (your annual one may not cover one way travel)

Open an Australian Bank a/c (We found HSBC cheapest and best. Not many branches outside large towns but ALL post Offices are De Facto branches) Get forms from local uk HSBC and then arrange via HSBC Canary Wharf – very helpful people.

Open a/c with currency exchange people (HIFX have easiest and quickest forms but DO NOT ALWAYS give the best rate)

Get your eyes tested if the annual test is due – take copy of result

Go to dentist for same

If you have private health insurance get copy of your contracts as some Australian companies will accept a ‘roll over’ and not make you have a ‘waiting period’.

Make a list of the items it is worth insuring (only insure breakables etc. most things only cost you unnecessary money)

Download and save anything crucial on your computer (they do not like to travel) Unplug everything yourself (the packer broke pins out of our printer plug when he wrenched it out and we did not know for some time) had to purchase new plug.

If you have the facility burn your photos onto CD’s for safety and take them with you in luggage.

Get your mobile phone unlocked (can be done cheaply on line if necessary) Then purchase a pre paid pack in Australia to keep you going until you decide who to go with for the best cover for your chosen area. ($30 inc. $29 calls for a pre paid sim)

Cancel your mobile telephone contract.

Get copy of last years’ Christmas card list – surprising who you have forgotten to advise of your move.

Update your birthday book and include dates like mothers and fathers day for the uk (they are different here)

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Guest Cara&Gav

Guest Cara&Gav

We've all earnt our wings getting this far in the visa process - it's amazing that it's mostly women who have done all the paperwork etc Well done to the men that have done it, lucky partners you have lol Stephen perhaps you can have a chat with my husband lol x

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Guest jools123

Guest jools123

im not very good with lists and i feel very un organised when i look at this and slightly scared i must add....... cos like the rest of you im gonna be doing it myself then report back to hubbie and just hope that a quarter of what i have said has gone in.... unless i mention money then he has exceptionaly good hearing:arghh:

his only input is were taking everything fill the container to the rafters and get rid of anything we dont want when we get there.......

im going to be pratical and get together a few things that i know can be dearer so school shoes in different sizes for the boys and probably some bigger clothes,

lecki blankets and more throws from mataland looking into gas filled rads, insulation and even thought about solar panels(only cos i know someone selling some cheap)

most things i have come across before and will get to, think i will nick the lists on here so thanks for all the info and for opening my eyes

jools x

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Guest littlem

Guest littlem

I have to admit i thought i was doing okay with my little list till i saw it.........the list to end all lists......omg how am i gonna do all that, I live in a fairy kingdom of 4 and guess what...... i am the only working fairy employed (unpaid of course) on the Oz Contract! lol!

mmmmmmm???? My OH gonna get a shock, he! he!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Guest Cara&Gav

Guest Cara&Gav

Why is everyone getting electric blankets? Do they not have heating in Oz?

I have to say since I saw all the lists I feel really stressed out especially as we're not going for a year so a lot of it can't really do yet. Well I need to go through it all and work out what we can start doing - sorry 'I' can start doing lol

Oh has been pretty good trying to take an interest but at the end of the day most of it will be down to me and giving simple instructions to him. Does anyone else have the problem that they keep saying they'll do things but they put it off so much they end up doing it ourselves! argghh